Global Innovation Commons

Today we all can claim what by international law is ours – namely every innovative thought and every contemplated imagination in the millions of patents in the Global Innovation Commons.

These are disclosures of innovation that have either expired or were left unprotected within specific markets which can be used to inform and activate new academic and economic activity. Most of the world’s industrial and academic R&D never sought patent protection in Australia. That means that Australia is uniquely positioned to lead the recycling, repurposing and redeployment of those foundational innovations that come from around the world. This recycling effort can include the use of patents for one of their long-forgotten purposes – namely to stimulate others to spring from them to unanticipated new ideas.

Beyond just accessing the information in patents and innovation disclosures, the Global Innovation Commons serves as the basis for a new form of business. As India’s Cipla was the pioneer in the multi-billion-dollar generic drug industry so too can we create Open Source Innovation business and collaboration models which will extend the markets for incumbent business leaders and foster the formation of new enterprises agile enough to respond to new market opportunities.

At Melbourne Polytechnic we also deeply believe in our social responsibility and with the Global Innovation Commons we have the opportunity to work with our students and partners to develop projects with extraordinary global consequence.